Standing for six hours can cut obesity risk

People who stand for at least one-quarter of their day may have a significant lower likelihood of obesity, a new study has claimed. While sedentary behaviour such as watching TV and commuting time has been linked to negative health effects, it is unclear whether more time spent standing has protective health benefits. A research team led by Dr Kerem Shuval, Director of Physical Activity & Nutrition Research at the American Cancer Society, examined reported standing habits in relation to objectively measured obesity and metabolic risk among more than 7,000 adult patients attending the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas for preventive medicine visits from 2010 to 2015. Specifically, the association between standing time and obesity was determined through three measures: body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist circumference. The association between standing and metabolic risk was assessed via metabolic syndrome, a clustering of risk factors that increase the risk factors for heart diseases, stroke and diabetes. The study carried found that among men, standing a quarter of the time was linked to a 32% reduced likelihood of obesity (body fat percentage).